Therapies

If you suffer from stress, anxiety, nervous tension, anger-attacks or low self-esteem, come along to one of my relaxation classes and learn a simple, easy-to-use technique that is guaranteed to help take the stress out of life.

There are many causes of stress, both physical and mental, and many ways to solve them. The Relaxation Key method involves no pharmaceuticals or other stimulant. The process is simple: create a peaceful sanctuary inside your mind that you can access at will.

Here’s the science behind it (skip this bit and go onto the “What happens in my classes” if you’re not interested in science!).

Our brain-waves oscillate at different speeds, measured in Hertz, depending on what state of tension, or relaxation we are in. Beta or Gamma are the bandwidths in which we can feel stressed. Alpha, Theta and Delta are those in which we relax.

The Alpha-bandwidth is where you go when you fall asleep or enter a daydream (like when you’re driving along and you suddenly “wake up” and can’t remember what happened for the last few minutes).

I teach my clients to drop their brainwaves from Gamma/Beta into Alpha whenever they like. This immediately relaxes the body and mind.

You don’t have to go to sleep to be in the Alpha-bandwidth. All children are in it the whole time until they reach the age of 5 (which is why they have no idea of time or space) and every other species of mammal lives in the alpha-state their whole lives.

What happens in my classes?

In one two-hour session I will teach you what I call the Relaxation Key. This involves you sitting in a chair whilst I talk you through the following steps:

Step 1) You sit in a chair and breathe easily, letting your mind focus initially on the sounds around you.
Step 2) Continuing to breathe easily, you bring your focus onto your body, feeling its weight pressing on the chair beneath you, noticing the different temperature of your hands, face etc.
Step 3) You let your body relax, really relax as you breathe more slowly. As you do this you feel your emotions settling and your mind becoming calm.
Step 4) You imagine walking through the 7 colours of the rainbow, from red to violet. You explore all the colours in detail, tasting, touching, smelling, seeing and listening to each (for instance, in red you might reach out for a strawberry, feel it, smell it, notice its shape, bite into it etc).
Step 5) You walk down a set of 21 steps that leads to your Sanctuary. This can be any place from nature where you feel secure. You might choose a beach, a mountain-top, a wood, a field beside a river or lake etc. It can be a real place that you go to, somewhere you used to visit when you were a child, or somewhere completely imagined. What is most important is that when you enter it, you feel totally safe, secure and calm.
Step 6) You explore your Sanctuary using all your five normal senses (taste, touch, sight, smell, sound) and your sixth sense (how you feel/your emotional state).
Step 7) Having reached a state of deep tranquillity, you stay in your Sanctuary for a while, relaxing, drinking in all the sounds, sights, smells and tastes before heading back up the steps, through the colours in reverse order and then feeling yourself fully back in the present, you open your eyes.

That’s it! Simple!

What exactly is the Relaxation Key?

The one crucial aspect of this technique is that whilst you are descending the 21 steps I ask you to press your forefinger and thumb together (with both hands or one). You keep these pressed together until you walk back up the steps at the end of your time in your Sanctuary.

The reason for doing this is that it combines a physical action with the mental process. When you do this, you teach the brain to respond to a physical stimulus. This is called a Habian Response.

Why is that important? Because it is the Relaxation Key. If you repeat this process enough times, then whenever you press your forefinger and thumb together during your waking life, you will feel yourself relaxing. This is because you will be dipping from beta/gamma into the alpha-bandwidth.

Start to feel your hackles raise when someone who makes you nervous or angry comes into the room? Press your finger and thumb together.

Feeling nervous about an exam, interview, date – or any other situation? Press your thumb and forefinger together.

Feeling yourself getting drawn into an argument, or your memory go blank, or the sensation of panic start to lock up your muscles? Press your thumb and forefinger together.

The Starting Point for a Healthier, Happier Life.

Of course, this is just the starting point. You may well have other issues/problems to work on and we would most likely do that in private sessions. Learning – and applying – the Relaxation Key it is a firm foundation on which you can build the house of your dreams.

To attend or arrange an introductory relaxation class either in the evening or during the day, please contact me on:

Please note: You can learn this technique by seeing me on a one-to-one basis in clinic. I normally suggest that we have an initial chat followed by a 90 minute first session. If you require further “top-ups” to master the technique we can do this either in clinic or via skype, as suits you best.

I also run full One-Day or Two-Day Behavioural Self Management Workshops during which we explore more fully the effects of using the Relaxation Key, including how to develop a more active Head Quarters (as well as your Sanctuary) in which you can work on any area of life that you are wishing to improve. Please contact me for a full programme schedule. Thank you.